Qatar vs Ecuador: Hosts aim to make strong debut
Qatar will be hoping to have a strong debut when they host Ecuador in the 2022 FIFA World Cup opener on Sunday, November 20th.
The Middle Eastern nation are making their appearance in a World Cup for the first time after being granted the opportunity to host. Unfortunately, the tournament has been marred by its fair share of controversy even before a ball has been kicked. From questions about dodgy labor practices, to the country’s royals blocking alcohol from being sold at the last minute, not to mention concerns from some governing bodies about the safety of LGBTQ fans hoping to attend, Qatar has found themselves under a rather unwanted spotlight over the past few years.
As such, they will be hoping to put all that firmly behind them and get fans to focus on what really matters: the football. 32 teams will be taking part in the highly anticipated affair, which will be held during the late fall and winter months for the first time in tournament history.
Both teams come into this competition with not much expected of either side
Despite the unwanted attention, Qatar’s football team come into this competition no strangers to upsets. They won the latest edition of the AFC Asian Cup much to everyone’s surprise, as it meant they beat Asian heavyweights such as Japan and South Korea along the way. They also made it to the semi-finals of the 2021 Gold Cup as a special invitee, again, much to the surprise of many.
Ecuador, for their part, will be featuring in their fourth World Cup. El Tri found themselves in hot water due to Byron Castillo, who helped them qualify before questions arose about both his age and actual nationality. Castillo was excluded from the squad, and there were rumors that Ecuador would be banned from taking part, but nothing came to fruition, much to the relief of their players and fans. To date, Ecuador have only once gotten out of their group, and it’s safe to say that they will face a tall task ahead with the Netherlands and reigning AFCON winners Senegal completing Group A.
Given this, not many have rated Ecuador or Qatar to get out of their group, and many will be more focused on other games, including the clash featuring the Netherlands and Senegal that is expected to ultimately play a huge part in who finishes top of Group A.
Of course, the World Cup is ripe for upsets, and Qatar, cheered on by their home fans, will look to make a big splash as they gear up to make history on Sunday. Many don’t expect much from this match in terms of footballing quality, but then again, fans could be in for another major surprise as the 22nd edition of the world’s most famous footballing – some would even dare say sporting – events gets underway on Sunday.
